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Formula 1 fans have decided their Driver of the Day from the Australian Grand Prix, and the vote has seen British stars Lewis Hamilton and Arvid Lindblad miss out.
The 2026 season opener was a chaotic showcase of the new regulations, with 120 overtakes during the race. But ultimately, the result was as expected, as George Russell claimed the win for Mercedes in a 1-2 finish with Kimi Antonelli.
Ferrari fought the Silver Arrows hard during the Australian Grand Prix, but Charles Leclerc and Hamilton had to settle for third and fourth, respectively. Hamilton felt he could have caught Leclerc with a few more laps.
What would you rate the Australian Grand Prix out of 10?
The seven-time champion’s race pace was strong in the SF-26 as he climbed from P7 on the grid, but his wait for his first Ferrari podium continues. Hamilton finished ahead of 2025 title protagonists Lando Norris and Max Verstappen.
The two remaining Brits on the grid, Ollie Bearman and Lindblad, then followed in seventh and eighth. It was an impressive weekend for the young talents as they scored valuable points for Haas and Racing Bulls.
Bearman lauded Lindblad’s performance after they battled throughout the race. The rookie certainly made an impression on debut, but it was not enough to win the Driver of the Day accolade.
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F1 fans snub Lewis Hamilton and Arvid Lindblad as Max Verstappen named as Australian GP Driver of the Day
Verstappen was named as F1’s Driver of the Day after the race. He climbed up from P20 on the grid after Verstappen crashed in qualifying to score eight points for Red Bull.
F1 Oversteer asked fans on Facebook for their Driver of the Day, and most were in agreement that the Dutchman was a worthy winner.
“Verstappen as usual, did a very good job to come in sixth after such a difficult weekend. Whatever, he always extracts the maximum from the car,” said one fan. Another said: “Even though I’m not a Verstappen fan, he was a pure beast on the track. Well done.”
Some standout performers in Melbourne 👀 Who was you Driver of the Day at the Australian GP?
Some felt Verstappen should have shared the accolade with another driver, with one fan pointing to Antonelli: “Max and Kimi, both amazing comebacks.” Others felt Lindblad should have won: “There is 2. Max and Arvid,” with a user responding: “Max and Arvid… I agree.”
However, there were some fans who did not think Verstappen was deserving of the Driver of the Day. He did finish more than 50 seconds behind the winner Russell in Melbourne, as one fan pointed out: “Not Max being 54s behind.”
Another echoed: “Verstappen didn’t merit driver of the day just because he was able to overtake lesser drivers in less capable cars. He got as far as he was able and then met his match and couldn’t get any further. One of the rookies is more deserving.”
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